Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has lost no time in resolving two problems that the team was dealing with under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The former England manager Steve McClaren, the Dutchman's right-hand man, deserves some of the credit as well because three years ago, he gave him the tip-off to resolve the problems. The current United assistant observed how Anthony Martial was used by Solskjaer and provided a reason for why the Frenchman was having trouble under Ten Hag's predecessor.
He argued that using Martial in a central attacking position would be detrimental to the player and the team, and that Martial was actually more effective when playing out wide.
"Martial is not a No 9, he is not a striker," McClaren told Sky Sports. "All his goals, all his best moments are on that left-hand side."
"Whether that's outside left or whether that's inside left, that's where he plays. He cannot play down the middle on his own."
What steps has Ten Hag taken to address the issue, then? contract Wout Weghorst on a temporary basis to finish the season. Even though the Netherlands international doesn't score many goals, the way he engages teammates and serves as a platform for players like Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford to operate off of him is proving to be extremely useful.
Martial has once again struggled with injuries, and while it is doubtful that Weghorst will remain at Old Trafford permanently, the chances of Martial leading the line or even appearing frequently under Ten Hag going forward are also slim.
According to McClaren, it wasn't just the former Monaco player who gave Solskjaer trouble. Additionally, he implied that the Norwegian was lacking some sort of presence from the center of the park.
"Fred is getting better, more confident, but he likes to roam around. They've got nobody like a [Roy] Keane sat in there."
"Absolutely [Scott McTominay] could do that but he still goes and wanders, but at least he's got the physicality to get around. So they're missing somebody in there."
In his first summer in office, Ten Hag took special care to address this problem by signing Casemiro, a former Real Madrid player. At the moment, the £60 million price raised eyebrows, but more than halfway through the season, nobody is disputing that sum.
The Brazilian has undoubtedly been United's standout performer thus far this season and may end up being one of Ten Hag's most important acquisitions.
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